1. Field of the Invention
In generally, this invention relates to clothing accessories, and in particular, to carriers for personal articles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Shoppers and travelers of both sexes frequently encounter the situation where the small wallet, purse or handbag they carry for holding and carrying small, personal articles, such as money, credit cards, keys, passports and the like, is too small for holding and carrying larger articles acquired during the course of a day's shopping or travels. This is particularly true when the acquisition is unexpected, such as an impulse purchase.
In this country, it is common for stores and shops to provide their customers with a sack or bag for their purchase, usually one made of paper or plastic, and typically including a pair of handles, for carrying larger articles purchased on the premises. These bags typically will bear the seller's trademark or logo and are not intended for multiple reuse, although some of the newer plastic bags are quite strong and durable. Regardless of their material or configuration, however, these bags are seldom either stylish in appearance or adapted for convenient carrying upon the person for reuse.
In foreign countries, the gratuitous provision of a sack or bag for purchased articles by their seller is less common, and where available, the sack or bag must be purchased separately at a cost over that of the items purchased. Thus, the traveller or shopper who neglects to bring along a carrying bag may find himself or herself in the position of having to make an additional, unwanted purchase, and regardless, may be cast in the unwelcome role of an unstylish, "walking billboard" for the store from which the bag was acquired.
As a visit to any well-stocked department store will show, there are a wide variety of attractive, stylish and functional carriers for small, personal articles. These include men's and women's wallets and purses which snap, zip or unlock in a variety of ways to reveal a large number of compartments adapted to store and secure the small, indispensable personal items that most of us carry when we venture out, such as money, credit cards, identification, combs and compacts, photographs, keys and the like. These are typically made of skins or leathers of one kind or another, or less-expensive material, such as plastic or synthetic fabrics.
Likewise, there are a large number of convenient, reusable tote bags or carriers on the market for carrying larger articles, although these are less commonly found than the ubiquitous wallet or purse. These range from the more utilitarian canvas or duck cotton tote bags usually associated with casual activities, such as beachwear or swimming, to the more stylish, elaborate and multi-compartmentalized overnight bags favored by some women as a general carryall. They may be woven from natural fabrics, such as coir or palm, and may be soft-sided or semi-rigid.
Unfortunately, it appears that what is on the market falls distinctly into either one category or the other, i.e., there does not seem to be a carrier which, in one configuration, is a stylish purse or wallet adapted for carrying smaller articles and which, in the appropriate circumstances, can be easily converted or expanded to an attractive tote bag or carrier for larger articles.